Investigation Report Page 3 - Quad Rider's Emails
On page 3 of the Game and Fish Investigation Report, we learn there was another "witness" which was not named or listed on page 1 of the report. I referenced this "witness" as Quad Rider. Quad Rider did not provide an official statement or speak with the investigator, but sent a series of emails. You can see his emails documented in the Investigation Report below: |
| Page 3 of the Investigation Report. Statements by "Quad Rider" are highlighted. |
Witness "Quad Rider" POST 7 recap.
It is believed witness Quad Rider approached on an ATV on the dike behind where my wife recorded her video of me fighting the big walleye which occurred a few seconds before Gibbs netted the walleye out on the peninsula. A quad could be heard in my wife's recorded video at this time.
It is believed Quad Rider could be seen and heard in the Witness Video when he walked in front of the camera from upstream to downstream while my family and I were taking pictures of the big walleye after it was caught. Quad Rider asked, "Are you guys done with that spot?" I responded, "Ya, but Joe's still got his spot there...but ya...you can take mine." Quad Rider responded, "Awesome." Here are the video clips documenting the above events: https://youtu.be/HMkIa8fhQwM.
It is also believed Quad Rider appeared in the background of pictures taken of me at the bank of the Heart River. The image below was taken right before my family and I left with the big walleye.
It is believed Quad Rider could be seen and heard in the Witness Video when he walked in front of the camera from upstream to downstream while my family and I were taking pictures of the big walleye after it was caught. Quad Rider asked, "Are you guys done with that spot?" I responded, "Ya, but Joe's still got his spot there...but ya...you can take mine." Quad Rider responded, "Awesome." Here are the video clips documenting the above events: https://youtu.be/HMkIa8fhQwM.
It is also believed Quad Rider appeared in the background of pictures taken of me at the bank of the Heart River. The image below was taken right before my family and I left with the big walleye.
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| Witness "Quad Rider" is believed to be one of the two individuals in this image. They asked if they could take my spot after I caught my big walleye. |
Quad Rider sent his first email to Game and Fish - April 21, 2019 at 10:53pm
Quad Rider admitted he, "was riding his quad down the dike when that guy brought that fish in that weighed 16.9lbs." His statement confirms he was at an estimated distance of 230 feet away.
Quad Rider didn't say where the hook was located or even why he believed my walleye was foul-hooked, but based his decision on the perception "other big fish" were being snagged.How fair is it to judge me and my specific event on a perception of "other big fish are being snagged therefore yours must be snagged?" This logic doesn't take into consideration the bait I was using, the technique, the fact that I caught a lot of walleye prior to the big one and all were hooked in the mouth, etc.
We are in a bad place as a society if we start making conclusions based on assumptions and perceptions of what others are doing.
Investigator Replies: May 2nd, 2019 (4:03pm)
The Game and Fish investigator emailed "Quad Rider" and wrote, "I am inquiring to see if you have any further details on the potential snagging of this fish. I am curious if you witnessed the fish being reeled in and netted and if you saw the location where the fish was hooked."
Why did the investigator wait 11 days to respond to Quad Rider's email?
"Quad Rider" Responds: May 3rd, 2019 (7:11am)
Quad Rider responded to the investigator's email and wrote, "I actually was there when he was reeling in the fish and did see it while it was netted. What it looked like to me was it was hooked in the right side dorsal fin. It wasn't hooked in the mouth that's forsure. I actually ended up taking the guys spot where he was fishing when he went to weigh it in."
Quad Rider pulled up behind my wife on the dike as she recorded me fighting the record walleye seconds before Gibbs netted the record walleye out on the peninsula.
If Quad Rider believed he saw what he says he saw, why didn't he raise concerns with me when he spoke with me on the shore of the river and asked to take my fishing spot? If he was "concerned," why does he appear to be smiling and laughing in the background of several of my images? Considering him and Knuth stayed fishing next to each other and sent their first emails to Game and Fish at around the same time, is it more likely they discussed and corroborated stories leading them to "later put 2-and-2 together" as what Knuth himself stated? It is much more likely he had no concerns at the time the walleye was caught.
Quad Rider pulled up behind my wife on the dike as she recorded me fighting the record walleye seconds before Gibbs netted the record walleye out on the peninsula.
"Quad Rider" was estimated to be 230 feet away at the time the fish was netted backed up by his statements and video evidence.Quad Rider stated, “…looked like to me it was hooked in the right side dorsal fin. It wasn’t hooked in the mouth, that’s for sure.” Quad Rider believed he saw my hook on a flopping walleye, in a net at over 230 feet away while riding on an ATV.
He claims it was hooked on the right side dorsal fin even though my walleye was netted with the left side showing - not the right side.He also claimed he saw the hook when the walleye was netted when neither Gibbs or I saw the hook at that time at much closer distances.
Quad Rider stated he saw the hook on the walleye even though it was not visible when the walleye was caught and netted in either of the recorded videos.For perspective, Quad Rider stated he believed he saw my jig on the walleye at a distance of 90 feet further from where the image below was taken. He stated this even though the hook could not be seen in the high quality image zoomed all the way in.
If Quad Rider believed he saw what he says he saw, why didn't he raise concerns with me when he spoke with me on the shore of the river and asked to take my fishing spot? If he was "concerned," why does he appear to be smiling and laughing in the background of several of my images? Considering him and Knuth stayed fishing next to each other and sent their first emails to Game and Fish at around the same time, is it more likely they discussed and corroborated stories leading them to "later put 2-and-2 together" as what Knuth himself stated? It is much more likely he had no concerns at the time the walleye was caught.
Investigator Replies: May 3rd, 2019 (12:08pm)
The Game and Fish investigator responded to "Quad Rider's" email and wrote, "Would you be willing to give me a written statement about what you saw?"
"Quad Rider" Responds: May 3rd, 2019 (6:10pm)
"Quad Rider" responds to the investigator's request for a written, official statement, "I could I just dont want to have to testify in court if that would at all be possible. I would like my name not to be seen."
In court, I would have made Quad Rider prove what he saw. I would have placed a small white jig on a large, flopping walleye in a net and placed it over the shoulder of a person walking at a distance of 230 feet away while the witness was riding on a moving ATV. I would have then asked the witness to identify the location of the hook along with the color. This would have determined exactly what this witness was able to see. If Quad Rider wasn't able to identify the location and color of the hook, I could file suit for defamation of character, slander and providing false information during an investigation.
Does Quad Rider really have super-vision? Because, the hook never appeared in any of the recorded videos which were recorded at much closer distances - even when they are zoomed all the way in. And, the hook was never visible by witnesses standing at a fraction of the distance.
Quad Rider NEVER provided an official statement because he didn't want to testify in court or have his name seen.
Changes
Game and Fish didn't reach out to Quad Rider for a statement until 11 days after his initial email which gives someone a lot of time to corroborate a statement especially considering the witness video was making its way around on social media.Why did Game and Fish wait 11 days to respond to Quad Rider's initial email?If Game and Fish would have responded right away, they could have asked very specific questions to see what Quad Rider truly witnessed at 230 feet away on a moving ATV such as the location of the hook, color, size, etc. 11 days is a lot of time for someone to fabricate a story.
In court, I would have made Quad Rider prove what he saw. I would have placed a small white jig on a large, flopping walleye in a net and placed it over the shoulder of a person walking at a distance of 230 feet away while the witness was riding on a moving ATV. I would have then asked the witness to identify the location of the hook along with the color. This would have determined exactly what this witness was able to see. If Quad Rider wasn't able to identify the location and color of the hook, I could file suit for defamation of character, slander and providing false information during an investigation.
Does Quad Rider really have super-vision? Because, the hook never appeared in any of the recorded videos which were recorded at much closer distances - even when they are zoomed all the way in. And, the hook was never visible by witnesses standing at a fraction of the distance.
Maybe Quad Rider didn't want to testify in court or want his name seen because he didn't actually see what he believed he saw.If someone doesn't want to testify in court or have their name seen, how credible is that witness? The simple fact is, considering Quad Rider NEVER provided an official statement because he didn't want to have to testify in court or have his name seen, his statements should have NEVER been included in the investigation report. If my case would have gone to court, Due Process allows me to be able to cross-examine adverse witnesses. I was never able to do that in my situation.
Publishing Quad Rider's statements in the investigation report was wrong to do.
#northdakotaslargestwalleye #volkswalleye #justiceforthelargestwalleye
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